Kinect-powered autonomous robots cook popcorn, make sandwiches

The reality of having a robot for a butler may be one step closer thanks to a robotics team from the University of Munich (TUM). They have created a pair of autonomous robots that are able to cook stovetop popcorn and prepare sandwiches using a Kinect sensor from Microsoft. Is there anything that peripheral can’t do?

Named James and Rosie, the remarkable thing about these two robotic cooks is that they use actual cognition to get their tasks done. Meaning that the movements and actions involved in the cooking process are not pre-programmed events. There’s evidence of this as the duo make small mistakes such as missing the toaster slot with a slice of bread and spilling a few popcorn pieces when serving them into a bowl.

The team accomplished this feat in conjunction with TUM’s Cognitive Robot Abstract Machine program, called CRAM for short. Using research that CRAM had already completed, students gave James and Rosie “brains” of a sort.

The robots have the capability of recognizing objects around them, using those identifications to call up the different uses an item has. For example, when James sees a toaster, its programming allows it to know that the appliance is used in the process of making toasted bread. What is even more cool is that using the aforementioned Kinect device, both robots are capable of accepting voice commands like “make me a sandwich.” When the duo hears that command, they will assess their surroundings and be able to identify what components are at hand to carry out the function.

Popcorn and sandwiches are not the only things that James and Rosie can cook, they can also handle pancakes for breakfast guests. You can see the full video of the duo in action below.